ORDER OF WORSHIP
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 6, 2026
Since the seventh century, September 1 has symbolized the day of the creation of the world in the Byzantine tradition and has been the opening feast of its liturgical year (known as the Feast of the Indiction), in parallel with Rosh Hashanah marking the Jewish New Year. Creation in Christ celebrates the ongoing creation of the world in and through Christ, who sustains, unites, and holds all created things. We hear today of the triune God who creates all things: sun and moon, shining stars, sea monsters, creeping things and flying birds—and, yes, even human beings. God-in-Christ still takes care of all things and invites us to join in as caretakers of God's good creation.
+ GATHERING +
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
arr. Michael Burkhardt
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God,
Creator, Redeemer, and Giver of Life.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God
and of one another.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Everlasting God, the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end,
we confess that we participate in systems
that perpetuate oppression and injustice.
We are often numb to the pain of the world around us,
resistant to change that costs us something,
and reluctant to love our neighbors as ourselves.
We sin against your good creation,
failing to be faithful stewards
of the land, the sea, and all their creatures.
Make your home among us once more, O God,
naming us beloved and opening our hearts
to do your will.
Amen.
Hear now the good news:
In Christ you are known,
forgiven, and set free.
to love the world as you have been loved.
Creation’s story will not end
until mourning, crying, and pain are no more.
Nothing can ever separate you from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
GATHERING HYMN
Morning Has Broken
ELW 556
Morning has broken like the first morning;
blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word!
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven,
like the first dewfall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,
sprung in completeness where God's feet pass.
Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning,
born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation, praise ev'ry morning,
God's recreation of the new day!
APOSTOLIC GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
KYRIE (page 147)
In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace from above,
and for our salvation,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world,
for the well-being of the Church of God,
and for the unity of all,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For this holy house,
and for all who offer here their worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
O God, in whom we live and move and have our being, in Christ you created the worlds, and your Spirit breathes life into the universe. We praise you for your wondrous creation. Bless us and all that you have made. Form us by your wisdom to be good stewards of the earth. Glory to you, Triune God, now and forever. Amen.
+ WORD +
FIRST READING:
Genesis 1:1—2:4a
1 When God began to create the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
6 And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. 8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
9 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
20 And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” 21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind and the cattle of every kind and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
27 So God created humans in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 29 God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all their multitude. 2 On the sixth day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
4a These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 148 (We will read the Psalm responsively by half verse.)
1 Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise God in the heights.
2 Praise the Lord, all you angels;
sing praise, all you hosts of heaven.
3 Praise the Lord, sun and moon;
sing praise, all you shining stars.
4 Praise the Lord, heaven of heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
who commanded, and they were created,
6 who made them stand fast forever and ever,
giving them a law that shall not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps;
8 fire and hail, snow and fog,
tempestuous wind, doing God's will;
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars;
10 wild beasts and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds;
11 sovereigns of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the world;
12 young men and maidens,
old and young together.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
whose name only is exalted, whose splendor is over earth and heaven.
14 The Lord has raised up strength for the people
and praise for all faithful servants,
the children of Israel, a people who are near the Lord. Hallelujah!
SECOND READING:
Acts 17:22a, 24-28
22a Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26 From one ancestor he made all peoples to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps fumble about for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28 For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said,
‘For we, too, are his offspring.’
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (page 151)
Alleluia.
Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL:
John 1:1-5
The Holy Gospel according to John, the 1st chapter:
Glory to you, O Lord.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON
The Rev. Dr. Olga-Maria Cruz
Silence is kept for reflection.
HYMN OF THE DAY
When Long before Time
ELW 861
When long before time and the worlds were begun,
when there was no earth and no sky and no sun,
and all was deep silence and night reigned supreme,
and even our Maker had only a dream--
The silence was broken when God sang the Song,
and light pierced the darkness and rhythm began,
and with its first birth-cries creation was born,
and creaturely voices sang praise to the morn.
The sounds of the creatures were one with their Lord's,
their harmonies sweet and befitting the Word;
the Singer was pleased as the earth sang the Song,
the choir of the creatures reechoed it long.
Though down through the ages the Song disappeared,
its harmonies broken and almost unheard,
the Singer comes to us to sing it again,
our God-is-with-us in the world now as then.
The Light has returned as it came once before,
the Song of the Lord is our own song once more,
so let us all sing with one heart and one voice
the Song of the Singer in whom we rejoice.
To you, God the Singer, our voices we raise,
to you, Song Incarnate, we give all our praise,
to you, Holy Spirit, our life and our breath,
be glory for ever, through life and through death.
APOSTLES' CREED
We now profess the faith we share using the words of the Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
We join with Christians far and near to worship God the Creator, praying for the earth and for all who are in need.
A brief silence.
O God of mystery, mercy, and might, we pray for the church: that congregations around the globe would work together to care for the earth, and the wellbeing of creation. Please bless presiding Bishop Curry, Bishop Suárez, and our synod staff.
Hear us, O God, source of life and ground of our being: Your mercy is great.
We pray for the earth: bless your creation with clean air, water, and wholesome soil. Move us to care for the land, the sea, and all their creatures. Motivate and empower us to restore all that has been damaged.
Hear us, O God, our creator: Your mercy is great.
We pray for the nations: bless farmers, herders, foragers, fishers, and grocers as they work to provide the food we all need. May civic leaders strive towards the common good, including public health and food safety. May technological developments lead us to more responsible ways to live.
Hear us, O God, our stronghold: Your mercy is great.
We pray for our country: may our national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges be safeguarded, may our natural resources benefit the whole population, and may every generation cultivate a reverence for nature.
Hear us, O God, our guardian: Your mercy is great.
We pray for all those in every kind of need: may all who are sick or suffering receive the medical attention and communal support they need, especially Mary, Anne, Mabel, June, Willah, Ann, Julie, Carol, Judy, Jeff, Philip, Gloria, Brian, James & Gray, Rich, Wil, Amy, Al, Al, Sharon, Bob & Jane, Scott, Lynda, Ron & Flo, Barbara, Monica, Avery, Michael, Art, John, Abby, Colline, Tim, Arleen & Richard, Betty, Linda, Sue, Natalie, Henry, Glenn, Gary, Connie, Greg, Beverly & Ray, Helen & Ron, and Max.
Hear us, O God, our healer: Your mercy is great.
Here other intercessions may be offered.
We praise you for Hildegard of Bingen, Francis of Assisi, and for all believers who have lived and died in communion with the earth. Grant that in your good time we join with all your creatures in your presence forever.
Hear us, O God, the beginning and the end: Your mercy is great.
Into your hands, O God, our maker and keeper, we commend ourselves and your whole creation, trusting in your mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
GREETINGS OF PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
+ MEAL +
OFFERING
You may place your offerings in the offering plate as it is passed during the service. Alternatively, some are using Tithe.ly for online giving or are using their bank’s online banking option. Whichever way you choose to give, we are grateful for your stewardship and generosity.
OFFERTORY
Praise and Magnify
Olga-Maria Cruz
OFFERING SONG
Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful
ELW 182
Let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord,
fill to the brim our cup of blessing.
Gather a harvest from the seeds that were sown,
that we may be fed, we may be fed with the bread of life.
Gather the hopes and dreams of all;
unite them with the prayers we offer now.
Grace our table with your presence,
and give us a foretaste of the feast to come.
OFFERING PRAYER
O God, maker of heaven and earth,
your steadfast love embraces all creation.
You send rain and sunshine to nourish the earth
and bring forth its bounty.
Through these gifts of bread and wine,
draw us into the death and life of your Son,
who calls us to bear witness to his saving work.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
DIALOGUE (page 152)
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
PREFACE
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
through our Savior Jesus Christ;
By the leading of a star he was shown forth to all nations;
in the waters of the Jordan you proclaimed him your beloved Son;
and in the miracle of water turned to wine he revealed your glory.
And so, with all the choirs of angels,
with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY (page 153)
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
Lord God of pow'r and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest.
THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE
O God triune, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
Over the eons your merciful might evolved our home, a fragile tree of life.
Here by your wisdom are both life and death, growth and decay,
the nest and the hunt, sunshine and storm, darkness and light.
Sustained by these wonders, we creatures of dust join in the ancient song:
The earth is full of your glory.
The earth is full of your glory.
O God triune, you took on our flesh in Jesus our healer.
In Christ you bring life from death;
we remember his cross, we laud his resurrection.
Broken like bread, he enlivens our body.
Outpoured like wine, he fills the earth with goodness.
Receiving this mystery, we mortals sing our song:
The earth is full of your glory.
The earth is full of your glory.
We praise you for the heart of Jesus,
so filled with your love for this earth.
In the night in which he was handed over,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
O God triune, you create the worlds, you uphold the living, you embrace the dead.
Send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.
Strengthen us for our journey with this meal, the body and blood of Christ.
Give us a future that trusts in you and cares for your earth.
Empowered by your promises, we rise from our deaths to praise you again:
The earth is full of your glory.
The earth is full of your glory.
Amen, and Amen.
Amen, and Amen.
LORD'S PRAYER
Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
All baptized children of God are invited to the Lord’s Table, where we receive Jesus’ very body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine. We partake at the communion rail; gluten free bread and grape juice are available. If you wish to commune, but cannot come forward, let an usher know and we will come to you. If you do not wish to commune, you are welcome to come forward to receive a blessing. Anyone may remain at the rail for a time of personal prayer, following which you may return to your pew down the side aisle.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
The gifts of God for the people of God.
Come share in the feast.
Thanks be to God.
DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION
LAMB OF GOD (page 154)
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
grant us peace, grant us peace.
COMMUNION HYMNS
Now the Green Blade Rises
ELW 379
Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,
wheat that in dark earth many days has lain;
love lives again, that with the dead has been;
love is come again like wheat arising green.
In the grave they laid him, love by hatred slain,
thinking that he would never wake again;
laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen;
love is come again like wheat arising green.
Forth he came at Easter, like the risen grain,
he that for three days in the grave had lain;
raised from the dead, my living Lord is seen;
love is come again like wheat arising green.
When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
your touch can call us back to life again,
fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been;
love is come again like wheat arising green.
Light Dawns on a Weary World
ELW 726
Light dawns on a weary world
when eyes begin to see
all people's dignity.
Light dawns on a weary world:
the promised day of justice comes.
Refrain
The trees shall clap their hands;
the dry lands, gush with springs;
the hills and mountains shall break forth with singing!
We shall go out in joy,
and be led forth in peace,
as all the world in wonder echoes shalom.
Love grows in a weary world
when hungry hearts find bread
and children's dreams are fed.
Love grows in a weary world:
the promised feast of plenty comes. Refrain
Hope blooms in a weary world
when creatures, once forlorn,
find wilderness reborn.
Hope blooms in a weary world:
the promised green of Eden comes. Refrain
POST COMMUNION BLESSING
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in His grace.
Amen.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Let us pray.
God of our salvation,
we give you thanks for this meal that restores our souls,
reconciles us to you, and strengthens us for the journey.
Through the body and blood of your Son,
may we become Christ’s body in the world,
bearing witness to your love for all creation,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
SENDING OF COMMUNION TO THE SICK AND HOMEBOUND
Gracious God, loving all your family with a mother’s tender care: As you sent the angel to feed Elijah with heavenly bread, assist us in this ministry on which we are sent forth. In your love and care, nourish and strengthen those to whom we bring this sacrament, that through the body and blood of your Son we all may know the comfort of your abiding presence.
Amen.
+ SENDING +
SENDING HYMN
For the Fruit of All Creation
ELW 679
For the fruit of all creation,
thanks be to God.
For these gifts to ev'ry nation,
thanks be to God.
For the plowing, sowing, reaping,
silent growth while we are sleeping,
future needs in earth's safekeeping,
thanks be to God.
In the just reward of labor,
God's will is done.
In the help we give our neighbor,
God's will is done.
In our worldwide task of caring
for the hungry and despairing,
in the harvests we are sharing,
God's will is done.
For the harvests of the Spirit,
thanks be to God.
For the good we all inherit,
thanks be to God.
For the wonders that astound us,
for the truths that still confound us,
most of all, that love has found us,
thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION
Creator God bless you and keep you.
Creating Christ shine through you with grace and mercy.
Creative Spirit nourish you and give you peace.
Amen.
DISMISSAL
Go in peace.
“Do unto those downstream
as you would have those upstream do unto you.”
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE
All Creatures of Our God and King
arr. Don Hustad
Liturgical Text and Music from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, With One Voice, All Creation Sings, and sundaysandseasons.com, © 1995, 2006, 2020, 2022 Augsburg Fortress. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies License #SAS016761. All rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise, Tune: ST. DENIO, Welsh folk tune, arr. Michael Burkhardt, b. 1957. Music © 1990 MorningStar Music Publishers in Praise and Thanksgiving, Hymn Improvisations, Set 3. Streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
Morning Has Broken, Text: Eleanor Farjeon, 1881–1965. Text © Miss E. Farjeon Will Trust, by permission of David Higham Associates. Music: Gaelic tune; arr. hymnal version. Arr. © 2006 Augsburg Fortress. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
When Long Before Time, Text: Peter W. A. Davidson, b. 1936. Music: Peter W. A. Davison; arr. George Black, 1931-2003. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
Praise and Magnify, Words and Music: Olga-Maria Cruz, Streamed with author's permission.
Now the Green Blade Rises, Text: John MacLeod Campbell Crum,1872–1958, in Oxford Book of Carols. Text, © 1928 Oxford University Press. Music: French carol. Arr. © Oxford University Press. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
Light Dawns on a Weary World. Text: Mary Louise Bringle, b. 1953. Text © 2002 GIA Publications, Inc. Music: William P. Rowan, b. 1951. Music © 2000 William P. Rowan, adnin, GIA Publications, Inc.Text and music reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense A-722274. All rights reserved.
For the Fruit of All Creation!, Text: Fred Pratt Green, 1903-2000. Text © 1970 Hope Publishing Company Music: Welsh traditional, arr. Ralph Vaughn Williams, 1872-1958. Arr. © Oxford University Press. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
Dismissal, Berry, Wendell. Citizenship Papers: Essays. Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint, 2004.
All Creatures of Our God and King, Tune: LASST UNS ERFREUEN, Geistliche Kirchengesänge, Köln, 1623, Arr. Donald P. Hustad, 1918-2013. Arr. © 1965 Hope Publishing Company. Music streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
